SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL-ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH WILLOW BIOENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN NEW-YORK (USA)

Biomass-for-bioenergy cropping and production systems based on willow (and poplar) planted and managed at high densities and short (3-4 year ) coppice harvest cycles, providing fuel for co-firing with coal (or o ther types of energy conversion) must be ecologically and environmenta lly sustainable to be commercially successful. Current knowledge and o ngoing research and development indicate that the production and utili zation systems involved are environmentally and ecologically sustainab le. Therefore two primary constraints to commercialization are being m et. The remaining constraint is economic viability based on cost of pr oduction and use, the value of environmental externalities (such as at mospheric emissions), and potential government/public policy actions t o promote this system of providing a locally produced and renewable fa rm crop and fuel. The environmental and ecological benefits of the sys tem should act as a catalyst for developments needed to overcome the e conomic constraints of the system. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Scie nce Ltd. All rights reserved.